Qoumi tarana

This is my first ever post in this forum so I'll start with very light mood.

This anecdote comes from Pakistan during the regime of the philanderer General Agha Yahya Khan, famous for his penchant for film actresses. One evening a woman arrived at the presidential palace and demanded admission, “I am actress Tarana,” she told the security guards.

“I don’t care what Tarana you are,” replied the guard, “you have to have a pass to go in.”

The woman was incensed and demanded to speak to the ADC to the President. The guard rang up the ADC and was told to let the woman in. Two hours later when she was leaving, the same guard sprang to attention and saluted her. “What change in your behavior!” remarked the woman very sarcastically.

“Yes madam,” replied the guard, “when you came you were the actress Tarana; now you are leaving you are the Qaumi Tarana (national anthem), so I must salute you.”.

Unfortunately, it is real.... If I were his (Yahya’s) ADC, I would have shot him dead, and would gladly get myself hanged. However, our soldiers are merely the servants of their superiors, not the guardians of the nation or the constitution. This is what they are trained for from the day first in the Military Academy. Be loyal to your senior…do not question his decisions, even if they make no sense. This does not mean all are like that. Lt. General Yaqoob Khan (later FM Sahabzada Yaqoob Khan) refused to follow the GHQs order of killing Bengalis when he was the Chief of General Staff (CGS) Eastern Command, Dhaka. He was reduced to his substantive rank and retired from service. Not a word of complaint was heard from him in public. He accepted the dispensation in the spirit of Ich dien. The regime that had become deaf and blind died in disgrace in the dying days of 1971.

qsaark i really liked your anecdote,but the world over soldiers must follow orders weather they like them or not.i know this must be very hard when you really wont justice and democracy for pakistan.you cant give up the fight stay the course it will come good in the end.

qsaark i really liked your anecdote,but the world over soldiers must follow orders weather they like them or not.i know this must be very hard when you really wont justice and democracy for pakistan.you cant give up the fight stay the course it will come good in the end.

:113:

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Yes, that is how the disciplined is maintained. However, this is also one of the major drawback and the prime reason why Military is simply not suitable to run the governments. For the very same reason, a democratic system is considered better in which matters are debated, problems are discussed, questions are asked, and judgments are tested. Fighting a war in a highly disciplined fashion and running a country are two very different things. Yahya was not only the Commander in chief, he was also the President of Pakistan. He tried to resolve a political problem with the use of the brute force, which was absolutely wrong.

Yes, that is how the disciplined is maintained. However, this is also one of the major drawback and the prime reason why Military is simply not suitable to run the governments. For the very same reason, a democratic system is considered better in which matters are debated, problems are discussed, questions are asked, and judgments are tested. Fighting a war in a highly disciplined fashion and running a country are two very different things. Yahya was not only the Commander in chief, he was also the President of Pakistan. He tried to resolve a political problem with the use of the brute force, which was absolutely wrong.

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i can not disagree with what you say.i feel the biggest obstacle to pakistan since birth has been kashmir.from there is where everything went wrong and has created mistrust and even hatred from some in pakistan to those living in india.
The leadership in pakistan is quite right when they say solve kashmir and then we can be friends.but how and with who army or civilian govenment,not to mention terror attacks by groups in pak that threaten the whole process.
a long period of stable govenment [democratic]is required,but its up to the people of pakistan to make it happen.

Soldiers are suppossed to obey their superiors, but I feel they also have a clause or rule (I heard the americans have it) which says that if the orders are bound to hurt the Country/People then the solider can disobey. Its something like that, forgive me if I am wrong, i vaguely heard it on a news channel.

The soldiers are good at what they do, that is protect the Country from any aggression, and not good at Running a country. Democracy does have its flaws, and for someone in favour of the army rule, Democracy might even seem illogical and dumb at times. But in the long run, nothing can beat democracy!!!

Soldiers are suppossed to obey their superiors, but I feel they also have a clause or rule (I heard the americans have it) which says that if the orders are bound to hurt the Country/People then the solider can disobey. Its something like that, forgive me if I am wrong, i vaguely heard it on a news channel.

The soldiers are good at what they do, that is protect the Country from any aggression, and not good at Running a country. Democracy does have its flaws, and for someone in favour of the army rule, Democracy might even seem illogical and dumb at times. But in the long run, nothing can beat democracy!!!

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when british troops where sent to iraq the army asked the the top law lords for advice,they were worried that they may be breaking the geneva convention.but even then they were forced to go to war on a big fat lie [wmd].if you are asked to go in to battle its a brave man who stands up and says no.